Hope and Faith

Life is hard, really hard. Many are in a dark tunnel, financially, emotionally and health wise. It seems over the last few days that I have been receiving more telephone calls and hearing more stories of those who just do not know how they are going to make it through their problems. They are worried about keeping their homes, they are worried about meeting their bills, they are worried about their children, their marriages are in trouble... it goes on and on. And this is just in my locale, globally the issues are bigger. There are people starving throughout the world, there is social injustice throughout the world, there is pain and suffering in mass within this Country I call my own and in all other countries.

And here I am writing on this blog saying to you, hang on, have faith, have hope. I can imagine that many of you are thinking, what a Pollyanna, she needs to get her head out of the sand and get into the real world. Is faith going to keep a roof over my head, is hope going to feed my family or cure my disease... I say to you my head is in the real world for I too wonder, if I will be homeless, if I will be without basic needs met, will I be able to have health care. For you see, I do not have a home, I too am without employment and I am without medical insurance. So I am just like many of you, not knowing what will happen to me. I am not walking in assurance that things will be okay , I am walking in faith and hope that God knows where I am and that he will provide. I need to supply God with the faith and hope in him that no matter what, I am going to trust him, no matter how dark it seems, I need to remember God is the light that can get me through. I do have examples of God being able to do amazing things with people, I will share some of my personal experiences of the power of God.

On May 6, 1990, a 30 month fast began for me, eating nothing just drinking water, juice and coffee in the morning. Since I am a Catholic people think this was a "Eucharist fast" ...it was not, it was not that lofty. Yet on some level it was more profound. For a "Eucharist fast", is an isolating concept, saying that only the Catholic through receiving the Eucharist can be given such a grace. Although I have great devotion to the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. God is bigger then any thought process of man, and God works in and through all people. We need to stop placing God in a box and believing he can only act in a manner acceptable within our own belief system or thought processes. No the nature of the word, God, denotes Almighty power not subject to the will of man or the thoughts of man. The fast that I was placed on so many years ago was to show me on a personal level that God can do anything, maintain life in any manner he sees fit even allowing a body (a carbon based unit such as myself to survive without substance)...

What I was taught on a spiritual level at that time, was that there is much in the way of greed in this world, there is not a fair and equitable distribution of that, which is conducive to life for all. That this greed is what is causing famine, and mass suffering and pain in the world. That in the hearts and minds of those who are in "power" on earth and I mean on earth for their power is but smoke and mirrors to the real power that exists that created us and this planet. Commodities, services and other resources are being held back by those who want personal wealth and power.

My fast of years ago taught me on a personal level that a lot less is needed for people to survive and live; that the expression, live simply so others may simply live is true. Does a person really need two , three or more houses when there are so many that are homeless. Does a person need to have three gourmet meals or more a day,(my fasting for nearly three years without any food, showed me the answer to that is no), when there are people starving, going through garbage dumps looking for food. Those who say they are pro-life, do they not understand that this includes, making sure that people are fed, clothed and housed, do these same people understand that health care should not be a privilege, but a right, by the mere fact that people have worth within life itself, not in the ability to pay to be cared for. Also do we really need to build bigger and better buildings of worship in any faith, when we are allowing the temples of God, "people" to go without. How does this make sense to any faith? To raise high a structure of wood and steel and not help the structure of life itself, the struggling individual. For the Christian who believes that Jesus died for us, how can they not see, he died for people not structures or personal wealth. For those outside of Christianity who say they believe in God, can they not see, that God does not need a building or "real estate" to demonstrate his Power, he is of endless capacity not in need of us making things for him or claiming land in his name. He is in need of us loving each other, nothing more.

I have also been "given" other times when I was placed upon a fast, as to why these things are given to me and how I survive them I do not know, other then God is in charge. When the powerful think their deeds are going unnoticed, they are wrong, what is done in the shadows of mankind are being seen by the Divine for in him there is no darkness all is revealed. Such people are like wild horses that God is allowing to run for now, but there will come a time that God will throw the rope around them and they will be brought before him.

What I urge all to do is to pray, no matter your faith or lack thereof, pray not just for your needs but for the needs of us all. We are sorely lacking in love, mercy, hope and faith. I would ask that everyone at least one day a week fast... This can be from food or anything that you like or want to do, just do it for one day a week, instead of satisfying your personal want or desire such as food or whatever, offer it to God as a prayer that he helps us all and this planet. For times are really bad, they truly are, but we as children of one God can go as a "family" to our God and ask him to help us... the choice is yours/ours... Especially for those who are not affected by the stresses and pains in the world now, at the end of the day, (the end of our lives or within our lifetime), we will all be placed on the scales of justice. Try to even out the scale by being merciful and helping those in need, to whom much is given much will be expected...